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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Zen is really one of the best sake bars I've been to. Since I posted a long and loving review of my initial visit there, here's a capsule view of the two consecutive nights we went during this trip. Which means I didn't drink everything here, sadly. Highlights from my perspective were:

Furosen. Can't get enough of it. Brought some home.

Bottom left, that's 23-year-old namazake (unpasteurized) from a brewer that no longer exists.

Bottom center, a Shuho made from Tsuyahime (table rice). Interesting sweetness - almost tasted like there was added sugar or chemical sweetener. Perhaps this is like the difference between wine grapes and table grapes; the simplicity of the flavor would support that comparison too.

Bottom right, red label - this brewer has two labels, 'Pale Cherry Blossom' and 'Wisteria Guard' (ish), and decides after tasting each tank which label applies to it. These two bottles, one of each, were made from the same ingredients at the same time but came out totally different, hence the labeling.Like Furosen, they're from Shiga, so maybe I should just move there.